Chronic underfunding has pushed mental health services to the brink, and the problem is getting worse. Understaffing, cuts and failure to provide early interventions for mental health patients is putting unprecedented pressure on A&E departments, emergency services and beds. Patients are being forced to travel further, and suffer worsening health, as they wait longer for treatment.

We've called an urgent one-day conference in September this year to take a closer look at the mental health crisis:

"You see more and more people going to A&E with mental health issues, more police time is getting taken up trying to support people with mental health issues.

"The number of people being detained under the Mental Health Act increased by 47 per cent over the past decade. That's people getting sectioned because their mental health is getting so bad as we are not supporting them in the communities."